


Love Is Lost, Life Can Burn, But Your Luck Will Return

by Priestlyislove



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Dancing Lessons, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Oneshot, Platonic Relationships, bros being bros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-09-14 08:59:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9172135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Priestlyislove/pseuds/Priestlyislove
Summary: Love comes in all forms. Taako learns to Foxtrot. Titles are stolen from MIKA songs.





	

"Yo, Maggie." Taako climbed into his lap, pushing his Fantasy Pups Monthly magazine away to get his full attention. Magnus had just gotten to the Pomeranian double page spread so he was in a pretty good mood.

"What's up?" He asked pleasantly.

Taako shifted, oblivious to how he was crushing Magnus' legs. Magnus didn't mind, he was tough and loved whatever casual affection he could get. "So, like, I was thinking that I wanna take Krav out someplace fancy."

"Fancier than the Chug and Squeeze?" Magnus found it hard to believe that there was a place fancier. It was the top date spot on the fake moon.

Taako nodded, "Yeah. I wanna go to a place that's like romantic and shit." Magnus figured that a place that only played Polka music on Wednesdays was not actually that romantic. "There's this place in Neverwinter I was thinking about."

"Great!" Magnus beamed. He thought for a second. "Wait, what did you need my help with?"

"Well, this place has dancing, and I wanna do that with him, but I dunno how." Taako started fiddling with his own hair. "So I was wondering if you could teach me?"

Magnus' heart felt like it was being squeezed. He hadn't danced with anyone since Julia died. He looked back up at Taako's face. He sighed internally. His friend was in love, and that's what was important. He had to do what he could to help them be happy. "I'd love to."

Taako's face lit up, but he quickly regained his composure. "Cool." He said, trying not to sound too enthused. He leapt off of Magnus and smoothed the imaginary wrinkles out of his skirt. He looked back to him expectantly. 

Magnus closed his magazine and set it down neatly on the couch, standing up and stretching. He pushed back the couch so they'd have a little more room. As he did, he spoke, "First, I'm not about to make assumptions about your relationship, so just tell me; do you want to spin or do you want to spin him?"

"Oh, I gotta blow him away with my skills, bro. I gotta spin him for sure." Taako said confidently.

"Okay, so that means you'll lead." Magnus grabbed his hands, placing one on his hip and holding the other. He placed his free hand on Taako's shoulder.

"Your hands are really sweaty, man." Taako whined.

"You're the one who asked for my help." Magnus pointed out. "Now, you step forward with your left foot." Taako obeyed, stepping forward as Magnus stepped back with his right. He smiled a little, "Now step forward with your right, turning a little. I'll turn too." They slowly started making their way across the hardwood floor. "See? Not so hard."

"I'm just a natural," Taako made a smug face, nearly tripping over Magnus. "This would be easier if you didn't have such big feet."

Magnus laughed. "Okay, okay, let's try a box step."

Taako wrinkled his nose. "That sounds boring. I'm not trying to put him to sleep, I'm trying to get in his tight-fitted pants."

"Too much information!" Magnus yelled before Taako could continue. Taako grinned and tried to get dirtier, but Magnus cut him off, "if you act nasty, I'm not gonna keep teaching you."

"Fine," Taako complained. "You're such a wet blanket."

"Here, step back, but lift your hand up." Magnus got back to the lesson. "Since you're leading, your partner will follow whatever you do. You just have to guide them. Lifting your hand like this lets them know you're going to spin them."

"This is a lot to remember," Taako's face became very concentrated as he tried to retain as much of Magnus' directions as he could. Magnus couldn't help but smile. Taako wasn't a hard worker in general, so seeing him put effort into anything was further proof of how much he cared about Kravitz. _He's a lucky skeleton,_ Magnus thought. 

"You're doing fine." Magnus said gently. Taako lifted his arm and ended up standing on his tiptoes to try and spin Magnus, who bent down to make it easier. They got tangled up a few times. "Let's try again." And they tried. Again, and again, and again. Once they managed to pull it off successfully, they both start laughing.

"Thanks, Mag." Taako stared at their feet once their laughter died down.

"No problem," Magnus smiled, brushing his appreciation off.

"Nah, listen. I'm trying to be heartfelt here." Taako laughed a little and looked up at him. "You're a great guy." For a moment, Magnus couldn't see Taako anymore. He was back with Julia in his arms, smiling up at him. He stopped moving, which made Taako stumble a little. "Woah, you okay?"

"I'm fine," he squeezed his eyes shut, forcing the vision to disappear. She wasn't here. She would never be here again. "Sorry."

Taako reached up and grabbed the hand Magnus had on his shoulder, bringing it down to their other hands. He squeezed them comfortingly. "We can stop if you want."

"No, no," Magnus shook his head. "I'm having fun." That was the problem, though. Letting himself have fun again. 

"Were you thinking about her?" Taako's voice was soft.

"Always am." He admitted, for once unafraid of seeming weak.

"I don't know a lot of stuff, my dude..." Taako shrugged, "but I do think that she'd want you to have fun."

Magnus was surprised. But he knew he was right. Julia wouldn't have wanted him to mope around forever. If she were here, she'd probably kick him back into shape. She'd yell at him about how she loved his smile a whole lot more than his frown, with that look in her eyes that she'd have whenever she couldn't really be mad at him. Taako was looking at him with a different sort of determination, a different sort of love. But he _was_ here, Magnus realized. And as long as he was loved, as long as someone was watching out for him, she'd be here too. 

Magnus couldn't help but laugh. He let go of Taako's hands, wiping his eyes dry and pulling himself back together. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right."

Taako wasn't always the most empathetic elf in the world, but he knew all about getting tripped up by the past. So he offered gently, "Okay bro. I'm gonna make some cookies, and I'll let you lick the dough off the spoon, and we'll just chill. Put on some Fantasy TV. Whatever you're feeling."

"But your date-!" Magnus protested, but Taako shook his head.

"Krav can wait. After all, I still need more dancing practice." He earned another laugh. "Bros before bones and all that. I'll call him up right now," he fumbled with his stone of farspeech, "You go get the baking sheets out."

Magnus nodded and walked into the kitchen. The smile on his face wouldn't go away. And the ache in his heart was still there, as it was always there, but it was lessened. And for once, he didn't feel bad about that.


End file.
